Have you heard of influencer marketing? The idea of working with an influencer — a thought leader in your field or a smaller niche — may not be totally foreign, but it’s more complex than reaching out to whoever has the most followers on social media. There are three types of influencer (aspirational, authoritative, and peer influencers), and the best option for you will vary depending on a few key factors. If you’re struggling with content outreach or want to take advantage of the growing trend of influencer marketing, read on.

First, to find the best influencers to work with, create a list of the most important voices in your industry (this may include any combination of the three influencer types listed above). Second, you can narrow your list by taking a closer look at each influencer’s activity and audience. Factors like how active the influencer is and how the audience responds are very important. Finally, you need to find people who have content to offer that’s relevant to your brand. Working with these individuals to get your content to their followers — and even offering to promote their material in return — is one way to generate buzz for your products or services.

These are critical steps in your search for effective influencers to amp up your marketing strategy, but this is just the beginning! Check out this white paper by CopyPress and Intellifluence to get a better idea of how to connect with industry thought leaders, how to increase your sales through these relationships, and when it might be time to cut ties with an influencer.